Dust mop head having cushion means



p 9, 1969 s. D. THOMAS 3,465,377

DUST MOP HEAD HAVING CUSHION MEANS Filed Sept. 11. 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet l p 9, 1969 G. D. THOMAS 3,465,377

DUST MOP HEAD HAVING CUSHION MEANS Filed Sept. 11, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I8 25 2s 2 3 4 l7 FIG. 4

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Sept. 9, 1969 G. D. THOMAS DUST MOP HEAD HAVING CUSHION MEANS 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Sept. 11, 1967 FIG.8

.m W A Sept. 9, 1969 e. o. THOMAS DUST MOP HEAD HAVING CUSHION MEANS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Sept. 11, 1967 ROW 22, 23

ROW 24 ROW 2| FIG. IO

US. Cl. 15-147 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A cleaning mop in which the mop head is provided with cushion means. The cushion means receive thereover a wipe which may be of many convenient types but, most suitably, is of low stretch characteristics so that it will conform well with the cushion means over a long service life. The cushion means include spaced rows of resiliently deformable material such as sponge rubber. The rows extend longitudinally of the mop head and each row has a multiplicity of depending projections. The depending projections of alternate rows lie intermediate the projections of adjacent rows to serve as stops and provide closed paths to dust preventing dust passage through the mop width.

Field of the invention My present invention relates to cleaning implements and particularly dust mops. More particularly, the present invention is concerned with a dust mop which is efficient, readily maneuverable in close spaces and provided with resiliently deformable means for close intimate contact of the mop head and wiper with a surface to be wiped.

Background of the invention Dust mops, particularly those for commercial service as in office buildings and the like, require a sturdy structure but one which will conform readily to the surface to be wiped. Further, the mop must be capable of picking up and retaining large quantities of dust and the like with minimum wiper change and minimum repair to the mop head, mop swivel and other mop components.

I have found that the foregoing and other desirable objects may be achieved in a mop which has a base which includes resilient material capable of itself deforming to the contour of floors, furniture and the like and of simultaneously imparting to a wiper a pressure which provides for intimate contact of the wipe with the object to be dusted.

Brief description of the drawings United States Patent FIG. 4 is a top plan view of a further embodiment of the invention, illustrating another type of resiliently deformable material on the mop head;

FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view of the structure of FIG. 4 particularly illustrating the arrangement of the rows of resilient material;

FIG. 6 is a front view of the structure of FIGS. 4 and 5;

FIG. 7 is an end view of the structure of FIGS. 4 to 6 inclusive particularly illustrating a channel-header arrangement for retention of the resilient material;

FIG. 8 is a view illustrating another kind of header structure;

FIG. 9 is a view like that of FIG. 2 and of a further embodiment; and

FIG. 10 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the device of FIGS. 4-7 inclusive further illustrating the cooperative relation of channels and resilient material.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-3 inclusively particularly, the numeral 1 designates a base of a floor cleaning mop having a conventional handle 2, a swivel 3 and a connecting plate 4 attaching the handle to the base 1. The base 1 completely around the perimeter thereof, as is particularly shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, is provided with a cushion of spongerubber designated at 5. As shown in FIG. 1, the mop base is designed to receive a wiper 6 which is required to 'be flexible and conformable to the resilient material 5. More suitable also, the wiper has relatively low stretch characteristics and is conveniently made of cloth, paper, impregnated paper or the like.

The mop base or mop head is generally rectangular but is recessed or dished at 7 to permit the mop to conveniently contact chair legs and other supporting structures of a similar nature. The forward edge of the mop is designated for convenience by the numeral 8 in FIGS. 1 to 3 inclusive. As shown particularly in FIG. 2 in bottom plan, the resiliently deformable material forming the cushion means extends longitudinally of the base in spaced rows designated from the forward to the rearward edge as 9, 10, 11 and 12. Each row includes a multiplicity of depending projections of the resiliently deformable material. Such projections are indicated at 14 in FIGS. 2 and 3 particularly. In each row the projections are spaced apart and the spaces are designated at 15. In effect, each designated row 9-12 inclusive is a strip of sponge rubber having cut out portions at 15 to provide the projections or teeth 14. The projections 14 of FIGS. 2 and 3 are, in effect, blocks of the deformable material which are depressible vertically to intimately contact or to provide a wiper 6 in intimate contact with a surface to be dusted. The forward and rearward rows 9, 12 in a preferred embodiment of the invention are simply conveniently cemented to an edge portion of the base, and to the underside of the base.

Thus, a portion of the strips 9 and 12 each project beyond the forward and rearward edges of the base. The strips, however, terminate and do not overlap the upper surface of the base 1. The dependent projections of the deformable material of the forward and rearward rows are also coincident with the outer extremities of the resiliently deformable material and thus are positioned to engage dust which may be close to furniture legs or the like.

The resiliently deformable material may be formed as a single piece and appropriately cut out to provide the depending projections 14 and to expose the base on its underside (FIG. 2) if so desired. However, we have found it suitable to provide the strips as shown in FIG. 2 with the end portions cemented as at 13 to the longitudinally disposed rows or strips 9-12 inclusive.

For the purpose of fastening the wiper 6 to the base, suitable clamps may be provided as generally indicated at 17, 18. It will be understood that it is much preferable to employ a removable and washable wiper or a disposable wiper with the resilient material as such wipes generally have a much greater capacity for .dust retention than the resiliently deformable sponge rubber or other similar material.

Referring now most particularly to FIG. 2 but also to FIG. 3, it is to be noted that the depending projections 14 of row 9, for example, lie laterally intermediate the projections of an adjacent row (row 10, for example) to provide closed paths from the forward edge to the rearward edge of the cleaning mop. This arrangement inhibits the movement of dust completely through the mop and, together with the pressure conditions existing in use at the projections, insures of a thorough cleaning action. Spacing of the projections permits the whole area under the mop head to be used for dust pickup and provides a light weight mop capable of developing higher unit pressure than a flat-faced mop of somewhat greater Weight.

Referring now more particularly to FIGS. 4-7 inclusive, the numeral 20 designates a base of a mop similar to that of the base 1 of FIGS. 1-3 inclusive. Rows 21-24 inclusive of resiliently deformable material extend longitudinally of the base and each row includes a multiplicity of teeth 25 and spaces 26. As shown in FIGS. -7 inclusive, the resiliently deformable material in this instance is provided with projections 25 in the nature of flaps, the flaps having a common and integral header 27 of about the same thickness as the flaps. These flaps, like the projections 14 of FIGS. 1-3 inclusive, are depressible under pressure and cause a wiper mounted over the base 20 to be urged into intimate contact with flooring or the like. As shown in FIGS. 5-7 inclusive and FIG. 10, the header 27 is of substantially the same thickness as the depending projections 25 and the header is received in channels 28 formed in the base 1 as clearly shown in FIG. 7. To insure secure retention in the channels, a wedge element 29 corresponding substantially to the header portion 27 is forced into the channel with the header by the means described. Each longitudinally extending row of resilient material may be separately mounted in a channel and separately replaced, should such become necessary under service conditions. As is most clearly shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, it is not necessary in this instance that the forward edge 30 of the base 20 be actually covered by the resilient material. The resilient material of the outer rows, as will be noted, extends from the base downwardly and outwardly in opposite directions and thus serves the function of a guard against striking furniture and the like while the flaps of the intermediate rows 22, 23 project towards each other and in a direction opposite from the outer rows. The structure has end flaps designated at 31 suitably shaped (FIG. 4) to close the mop head ends, two such flaps being provided at each base end. The flaps 25, similar to the blocks 14 of FIGS. 1-3 inclusive, are so arranged as to prevent a direct path for dust from the forward edge to the rearward edge of the mop. Under pressure the projections or flaps 25 depress in a hinge-like action to project the necessary intimate contact of the wiper and object to be wiped.

In the modification of FIG. 8 the header designated at 27' is of generally circular cross-section for snug mounting in cylindrical channels. The flaps 25' are not planar as in FIGS. 4-7 but wedge-shaped and bound spaces 26.

It is not necessary that the projections themselves be of generally rectangular form as shown in FIGS. 1-7. A very suitable arrangement is shown in FIG. 9 wherein .4 the teeth or projections as viewed in plan are generally triangular, such projections being designated at 32. This arrangement presents relatively long sides 33, 34 of a projection to the dust as the projections are triangular in shape and have their apices extending toward the forward edge of the base.

I claim:

1. In combination, in a cleaning mop, an elongated base having forward and rear edges, and cushion means carried by the base, said cushion means including resiliently deformable material extending outwardly of the base completely around the perimeter of the base and including resiliently deformable material lying in spaced rows from the said forward edge to the said rear edge of the base and each row including a multiplicity of depending projections, the depending projections of alternate rows lying intermediate the projections of adjacent rows to provide closed paths to dust from the forward edge to the rear edge of the cleaning mop, the depending projections of the deformable material of the forward and rear edges being coincident with the outer extremities of the resiliently deformable material and the projections being spaced apart blocks of the resiliently deformable material and the blocks along the front and rear edges presenting a surface conformable to the contour of floors and furniture to be dusted.

2. In combination, in a cleaning mop, an elongated base having forward and rear edges, and cushion means carried by the base, said cushion means including resiliently deformable material extending outwardly of the base completely around the perimeter of the base and including resilient deformable material lying in spaced rows from the said forward edge of the said rear edge of the base and each row including a multiplicity of depending projections, the depending projections of alternate rows lying intermediate the projections of adjacent rows to provide closed paths to dust from the forward edge to the rear edge of the cleaning mop, the depending projections of the deformable material of the forward and rear edges being coincident with the outer extremities of the resiliently deformable material and the projections being flaps and the flaps extending downwardly and outwardly from the base in opposite directions along the front and rear edges of the base.

3. In combination, in a cleaning mop, an elongated base having forward and rear edges, and cushion means carried by the base, said cushion means including resiliently deformable material extending outwardly of the base completely around the perimeter of the base and including resiliently deformable material lying in spaced rows from the said forward edge to the said rear edge of the base and each row including a multiplicity of depending projections, the depending projections of alternate rows lying intermediate the projections of adjacent rows to provide closed paths to dust from the forward edge to the rear edge of the cleaning mop, the depending projections of the deformable material of the forward and rear edges being coincident with the outer extremities of the resiliently deformable material and the pro jections being spaced apart blocks and triangular in shape as viewed in bottom plan and having their apices extending toward the front end of the base.

4. In combination, in a cleaning mop, an elongated base having forward and rear edges, and cushion means carried by the base, said cushion means including resiliently deformable material extending outwardly of the base completely around the perimeter of the base and including resiliently deformable material lying in spaced rows from the said forward edge to the said rear edge of the base and each row including a multiplicity of depending projections, the depending projections of alternate rows lying intermediate the projections of adjacent rows to provide closed paths to dust from the forward edge to the rear edge of the cleaning mop, the depending projections of the deformable material of the forward and rear edges being coincident with the outer extremities of the resiliently deformable material and the projections being flaps, the flaps of a row having a common header and flaps extending downwardly and outwardly from the base in opposite directions along the front and rear jecting toward each other.

edges of the base, the flaps of the intermediate rows pro- 5 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 12/1957 Hough 15210.5 5/1959 Pastoret 15210.5 10/1962 Murphy 15231 7/1966 Murphy 15-231 XR 15 FOREIGN PATENTS France. Germany. Germany. Great Britain. Great Britain, Great Britain. Italy.

Sweden.

U.S. C1. X.R. 

